Vlad's tranquilizing vacation

As Europe's leaders agonise over what to do about Russian aggression in Georgia, Vladimir Putin was busy showing the world that he's not a man to be messed with - not even by a tiger.

The Kremlin strongman, widely seen as the driving force behind the invasion of Georgia, shot the big cat with a tranquilliser, apparently saving the lives of a group of TV journalists...

European disapproval seemed far from Mr Putin's mind as he strode through the Siberian forest in his combat fatigues carrying a tranquiliser gun to arrive in the nick of time.

Accounts from Moscow suggested that ex-president Putin, now Russia's prime minister, saved the TV journalists after a tigress escaped from a harness. What is more likely is that the crew, who were standing 15ft away, were in place to capture the heroic shot.

Mr Putin had flown to the spot by helicopter, before transferring to a 4x4 and finishing the journey on foot - arriving at the exact moment the animal broke free.

'He immediately fired from a special gun which scientists use to immobilise animals, and hit the tigress in its shoulder blade,' according to one reporter. 'The tigress was immediately sedated.'

Mr Putin was visiting scientists in the Ussuriyskiy reserve which harbours rare Amur tigers. After putting the tigress to sleep, he helped attach a tracking collar.

The stunt was clearly designed to enhance Mr Putin's macho image. Last year he was filmed fishing bare-chested in Siberia...